


Waiting Room

by Evil_Little_Dog



Series: Little Things [182]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Community: fma_fic_contest, Gen, Hospitalization, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 23:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5763067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  Alphonse heals. But slowly. <br/>Disclaimer: I own neither the line of poetry nor FMA. Darn the luck.  <br/>Notes: FMA Fic Contest Prompt: Use a line of poetry. I chose Robert Frost’s “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting Room

Since the Promised Day, they’d spent most of their time at the hospital. Alphonse needed it more than Edward, needed the care and food and gentle exercises. It took almost a month before he looked like something more than a living skeleton. By then, Edward’s arm had healed up and he was looking forward to going home. 

Cheering Alphonse on with his physical therapy wasn’t exactly a taxing chore. Edward also spent some time visiting Mustang and First Lieutenant Hawkeye in the hospital room they shared. The guards outside the door always let him in – of course, they knew him personally: Braeda and Maria Ross and Major Armstrong. They took turns visiting Al, too; keeping him company. 

It wasn’t all an easy road. Alphonse had a hard time controlling his body, after not being a part of it for so long. He cried easily – the first time he had, well, Edward still remembered his own panic at his brother’s inability to _stop_ the tears. The doctors reassured them both the crying was normal. That Alphonse had to re-learn how to keep his emotions steady. That took time, too, and effort, and Edward kept up the cheerleading when Alphonse wanted to give up. 

“What about you?” Alphonse asked one night, after a dinner for him of sopped bread in milk and the tiniest helping of scrambled eggs, no seasonings. Edward almost hated eating in the same room with him, since he could eat normal things. 

“What about me, what?” 

“You’re having nightmares.” Alphonse narrowed his eyes at Edward when he opened his mouth to protest. “You can’t tell me you don’t! You woke me up screaming last night.” 

“I did?” Alphonse needed his sleep and Edward mentally berated himself over waking him. “Why didn’t I wake up?” 

“I don’t know.” He shrugged his narrow shoulders. “I talked to you. You calmed down before any of the nurses came in.” 

Edward didn’t remember a nightmare. He wondered why he stayed tired, even after what he’d thought was a good night’s sleep. Keeping Alphonse up, that wasn’t good for him. “I’m glad.” 

Alphonse levered himself up a little more. “Granny can help.” Edward wrinkled his nose and Alphonse sighed loudly. “You know she’s good with the soldiers who come to her.” 

“I know.” Edward nodded for emphasis. “I know, Al. But you’re not ready to go home yet.” 

“I want to walk home.” Turning his head toward the window, Alphonse said, “I told myself I’d walk home from the train station.” Before Edward could wonder what he saw through the glass, Alphonse smiled and glanced back. “You could call Granny and talk to her about it!”

“I’m not calling the old hag!” Still, he couldn’t help but smile at Alphonse’s snicker. 

“You should call. I know they both would like to know we’re okay.” 

That was a good idea, but Edward had another one. He’d never called home except for when he’d been in the hospital last time, after Lab Five. He wanted it to be a surprise, like always, when Alphonse and he walked up the path, finally heading home.

“Ed?” 

He looked back at Alphonse. “Yeah, I should call.” Edward knew Pinako and Winry would be happier if he rang them up. It didn’t mean he would. “It’ll be more fun walking up to the house if they don’t know we’re coming.” 

Alphonse snorted in a very indelicate manner. “It’s cruel.” 

“But I have promises to keep.” Edward amended, “ _We_ have promises to keep.” And they’d already kept the hardest one – they’d lived. He figured Winry could wait for Alphonse to be able to walk out of the hospital on his own feet. And by then, the Promised Day would be a memory Edward would be happy to put behind him. 

Soon, they wouldn’t need the hospital. Soon, they’d go home. 


End file.
